7000 calories burned in one day! Yikes!

Gary6030
Gary6030 Posts: 593 Member
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
So I was watching Biggest Loser Monday Night and I heard something that blew my mind. Several of the contestants stated that they had burned over 7000 calories according to their monitors. So I have two questions: 1. What are those monitors and how can I get one? 2. Are those accurate.

I've been so pleased with my 800 - 1300 calories a day burn at the gym. I think its time to really step up the workout. Does anyone know the safety of such a workout? I know they are surrounded by physicians so its a little different with them.

Replies

  • wocm15
    wocm15 Posts: 81
    Just keep in mind that the more you weigh, the more calories you're burning just by staying alive, much less walking. The doctor character told that heaviest guy there that he would have to consume 5,000 just to MAINTAIN his weight! If a fat and a thin person did the same workout, same intensity, etc., the heavier person would still burn more calories, simply because there's more of them to move.
  • kathylsmith30
    kathylsmith30 Posts: 5
    No kidding! Where do I get one of those monitors??
  • JoniBologna
    JoniBologna Posts: 653 Member
    Those people are really heavy to begin with, and they also work out for hours a day. Don't set your goals to match theirs. It is rather unrealistic.
  • feetypajamas
    feetypajamas Posts: 104 Member
    I *think* its called Body Bugg?
  • fearlessfatty
    fearlessfatty Posts: 206 Member
    I think they're called "Body Bugs"
  • emmclean
    emmclean Posts: 297 Member
    Most of them are 20st+ and they're doing 5-6 hours of exercise a day, with instructors to keep them going, besides controlled meals. It's pretty astonishing still, but not so weird when you look at the facts.

    3550380.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • beautyqueen1979
    beautyqueen1979 Posts: 151 Member
    I think I would take everything on the Biggest Loser with a pinch of salt. I love it, but I know the show has a few tricks up it's sleeve. Also remember that the contestants have nothing else to do all day except work out, and they are really pushed on that show!

    I think the Biggest Loser uses the Body Bug (? monitors). I use a Polar F7 heart rate monitor for when I exercise, honestly if I get 110-120 cal burn per 10 minutes I know I'm doing good. That's what I aim for during my high intensity cardio work. For me to get 7000 I would have to exercise over 9 hours a day lol (let's hope my maths was right there). That's not going to happen.

    If you are burning 800-1300 cals a day I think that is HUGE! Considering you have life going on around that workout as well. I would be concerned of the safety of aiming for something like the Biggest Loser figures - but I'm not a medic.

    If you find what you are doing is no longer working for you, you could mix up the exercises you do (e.g. take up a new sport!) but don't do yourself any damage :)
  • aschultz9
    aschultz9 Posts: 89
    Ditto the more you weigh, the more calories you will burn with exercise and the quicker the weight loss. As you lose, you burn less and will have to work harder to lose.
  • Nellie1drfl
    Nellie1drfl Posts: 127 Member
    I think they use Body Bugs, they have a wesite and those Im pretty sure they wear those all day.So is that excercize calories or total daily calories, I guess we even burn cals in our sleep.
  • whittrusty
    whittrusty Posts: 533 Member
    I pretty sure they have Body Buggs. It's a heart rate monitor that measures your calorie burn all day long, but I think they run about $200-300. You could probably find them online.

    Like others have said, the contestants weigh a lot, thus they burn a lot. They are also working out pretty much constantly, so it's not realistic for someone in the real world to have such a calorie burn.
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
    The body bugs aren't worth all that. Just get a Polar HRM and keep track of your food intake like you are already doing.
  • rjulian20
    rjulian20 Posts: 21
    don't get frustrated! i workout with my boyfriend & he burns almost twice as many calories as i do....but he weighs about 30 lbs more than me. heavier people burn more so take into consideration how much the people weighed that burned 7,000 calories.....for 30 minutes of light cardio...i only burn about 200 calories & i'm standing there like "all this for that???" good luck with it!!!
  • Aimee_PD
    Aimee_PD Posts: 177 Member
    yeah i think they use the bodybugg. i have a sportline and it does me just fine although id love to have a bodybugg ,they're expensive! I agree with the others. the show and the workouts (in my mind) are unrealistic. they're pushed to the limit and i think its crazy! normal every day life isnt that way. all they have to do is workout, they dont have the demands of family and all that like once they get home. I think the burn that you're doing is excellent! i dont even get that much in a day from workouts
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    So I was watching Biggest Loser Monday Night and I heard something that blew my mind. Several of the contestants stated that they had burned over 7000 calories according to their monitors. So I have two questions: 1. What are those monitors and how can I get one? 2. Are those accurate.

    I've been so pleased with my 800 - 1300 calories a day burn at the gym. I think its time to really step up the workout. Does anyone know the safety of such a workout? I know they are surrounded by physicians so its a little different with them.

    This is total calories burned as well if you burn 1300 cals at the gym you also burn around 2000 cals from normal daily activity (maintenance calories) so in total you would be around the 3000 cals per day burned.
  • eharris1973
    eharris1973 Posts: 1
    They are called body bugs or something bug. They advertised them a lot last seasaon. They track your calories, exercise, etc. Google it for more infomation. They seem bulky. I wouldn't want to wear it on my arm all day. They might have one similar to the polar monitor that you wear under your clothing and you wear it above your belly, like a belt. Hope that I helped a little, lol!!
  • tolygal
    tolygal Posts: 602 Member
    They are working out all day, that's why they burn so much (plus their size). What I want to know is how many calories they have them eating each day.

    They use the Bodybugg, and it's a fabulous tool!!! Just search online for it.

    To clarify, it is not a HRM - it does not measure your HR. You do wear it all day, and it tells you what you've burned during all day - not just during your workout. In my opinion, it is definetly worth it. My workouts only account for 1 hour of what I do all day long. And what I do the rest of the day makes a HUGE difference in how many calories I burn all day long. Remember, most of the average person's day is spend doing things other than intenentially working out - which is what a HRM is good for. The Bodybugg tracks everything you do - whether it's taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to those extra steps to your car (that you parked a ways away). Your daily activity level is a general number and varies a lot depending on what you actually do. The bodybugg takes away all that guessing. You don't have to enter your cleaning as an excercise because your bodybugg knows what you've done. Anyway - I love it and would buy it all over again. I plan on using it when I'm maintaining too - hopefully it will help me keep the weight off this time!
  • StacLegg
    StacLegg Posts: 346 Member
    I think the monitors they were wearing were body bugs. Not 100% sure though. They are pretty expensive HRM's. My girlfriend and I work out together side by side on machines, doing same pace same everything, and she always burns more calories.... she is taller and alittle heavier. grrrrrr makes me just step it up a notch though to see better numbers! lol
  • mrscates
    mrscates Posts: 559 Member
    I AGREE
    Those people are really heavy to begin with, and they also work out for hours a day. Don't set your goals to match theirs. It is rather unrealistic.
  • BobbyDaniel
    BobbyDaniel Posts: 1,459 Member
    It is called Body Bugg, and they have been using those for the last 5 seasons or more. They are bit pricey and out of my current price range.
    And if you workout out 5-6 hours a day (or more) at a high intensity, I'm sure you can burn those types of calories. For me, I'm doing good to get in my 30-40 minute run which will usually give me a 500-600 calorie burn. And as I lose weight and get my resting heart rate down it is harder to get it back up with lighter exercise. Now when I walk at a fast pace my heart rate barely breaks 105, making it harder to burn calories. One of the side effects of getting healthier I suppose.
  • Gary6030
    Gary6030 Posts: 593 Member
    yeah my resting hr is 66 since I've lost the 200lbs. I can still get it up around 150 - 160 when I'm running at 5.5mph on the treadmill. I've been trying to build up my stamina so that I can run longer. I'm currently running 5 minutes at 5.5 then walking 1 minute at 3.5 and then cycle back over for 30 minutes. I started at running 1 minute walking 2 minutes. So I'm pretty pleased with the results in only 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to running at 5.5 for 30 minutes. Then I will really know that I'm making some huge progress.
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
    Please keep in mind that contestant of the BL Show are monitored under Doctors and exercise anywhere from 8-12 hours a day. It is not ideal, and should not be tried outside of supervision. As well many of the contestant leave the show and go back to their normal lifestyle where they can only exercise 1-2 hours a day and GAIN their weight back. I would discourage from trying to compare yourself to those on the show. Remember they have NOTHING else to do all day but exercise... so they are going to burn more calories... it has nothing to do with the HRM they are wearing or normal daily activities... they are training to be able to exercise for LONG periods of time... which is not an ideal everyday situation.


    An Average of 2lbs a week for women and 3lbs per week for men is the MAXIUMUM you shoud LOSE and BE HEALTHY! Anymore that that and you are losing unhealthy weight and could cause problems in the future.
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
    This is why I do not like this show... it makes people think well if they can do it so can I.... Granted you can do it! but not in the short period of time they are showing on the show... it takes TIME, PATIENCE, and a HEATLHY EXERCISE AND DIET! ... Moderation is the key here.
  • iamstaceywood
    iamstaceywood Posts: 383 Member
    i LOVE my bodybugg and it isn't much more expensive than a good heart rate monitor. I paid 150 for a V3. I think its a necessary rule if you believe that calories in vs calories out is what matters. It tells you the calories out and if you combine that with a food scale, your golden.
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
    I have my bodybugg for sale on ebay this week for half of what I paid for it.

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170589021909&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

    Stop by and check it out.

    Shannon

    Why are you selling?
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    Let's not get too carried away on the numbers. I'm a big dude, my maintenaince Kcal are 2800. If I mowed the lawn, walked 18 holes of golf on my favorite course that's 7500 yards with hills, and swam for 2 hours afterwards...I could get close to 7000 Kcal. I'd be tired, but I wouldn't be drop dead tired. Notice none of that is close to High Intensity anything.

    It's more about perception and reference.

    I highly recomend an HRM for work outs. However, if you have limited recourses and need a really effective gadget. Buy a food scale first. You can't out excersise a bad diet.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
    7000 calories is probably possible for most of us to do. I've done about 3000 calories in about 4 .5 hours of hiking... but it would take a solid day of heavy exercise. For instance, when pro swimmers attempt to swim the English Channel they actually build up excess bodyfat for the journey. I saw a special on discovery health explaining that the average swimmer loses 14 pounds of fat from the trip. 14x3500=49000 kCal.

    As mentioned, the heavier you are the more energy your body requires. Then on top of that, you need more energy to move it.
  • 3trees
    3trees Posts: 71 Member
    As others have said, it's a body bugg.

    I got one last Thanksgiving. On a normal day, with a one hour workout and lots of time at a desk, I burn 2800 Calories (kcal).

    They are helpful to see how you're doing in a day, or even during a workout to check burn. Somehow, sometimes my heart rate is high during spin class but the body bugg is showing less effort than I expect.

    I'm still getting used to it. I can tell you that it's not a silver bullet. I've had a 500 Cal or so deficit each day for the past month and my weight hasn't moved (based on body bugg burn versus myfitnesspal calorie intake). I'm hoping I'll slide off this plateau soon.

    However, as others have also said - watching what you eat is most important. I read on a running site that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. I don't think they can really be that accurate, but you get the idea.

    Anyway, I like my body bugg. It's helped motivate me to put in a bit more housework or whatever to get my burn level for the day. But for some reason, the pounds are being a bit stubborn.

    You seem to be doing fantastically with your current program - and the weight keeps coming off. Congratulations on all your acheivements. I don't think you need a $200 gadget when your program is already working.
  • aaddaammggoolleeaaffss
    aaddaammggoolleeaaffss Posts: 230
    The body bugs aren't worth all that. Just get a Polar HRM and keep track of your food intake like you are already doing.

    I have a Body Bugg and love it, wouldn't trade it for any other type of calorie burning monitor
  • Gary6030
    Gary6030 Posts: 593 Member
    wow quite a mixed review. The FT7 Polar HRM is $109? Body Bugg is $149? so not much of a price difference. I see that the darn thing has a monthly fee. I'm really getting tired of all the addons the health industry tries to tack on.
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